Germany is the largest country in the European Union, with an area of 137,847 square miles and more than 82 million inhabitants. It’s situated on a wide territory from the Nordic Sea to the Alps, with a mostly temperate seasonal climate. With mostly flat lands in the north, the country has an impressive mountainous region in the south and a number of large rivers and lakes.

Germany is the world’s fourth strongest economy in terms of GDP, and the third largest exporting country worldwide. The service sector contributes more than two-thirds of its GDP, followed by industry and agriculture. The country is famous for its car manufacturing. It is the fourth largest producer of vehicles, and is home to a number of top car producers. Among its most important exports are cars, mechanical equipment, chemicals, electronics, metals, and food. Due to its highly developed infrastructure, it’s a transport hub for the whole continent.

More than 75% of the population lives in urban areas. The country has 11 metropolitan regions and 34 cities that serve as regional centers. The largest cities include Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart. They are a home to more than 11 million people altogether. There are about 15 other cities with population in the range of 400,000–500,000 citizens.

While unemployment is quite low in Germany and there are a number of conventional job opportunities, the freelance market is booming. Many young Germans would like to avoid office jobs with low flexibility and hierarchical structure, or prefer to have more control over their schedule so they can dedicate more time to their families. For a number of freelancers, remote work is a great alternative to earn a solid income while remaining independent. Germans offer particularly good services in IT, sales, marketing, and web development.

Top Skills

German is the official language of Germany, but English is widely spoken in cities, educational organizations, and businesses. The literacy rate is 99%.

Public education is free in the country. It hosts 380 universities and offers more than 17,000 educational programs. Some of the top engineering and technical universities in the world are based in Germany. The most well-known institutions include Technische Universität München, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

Many students choose German universities for their technical and business programs. German freelancers offer top freelancing services in IT, business management, and software development. About 1.5 million Germans work independently.

Income Range

The average monthly salary in Germany is about 3,000 EUR, which is nearly $3,200. Payment in the service sector may be slightly lower, while IT, engineering, and business management salaries can go as high as 10,000 EUR ($10,600) per month and more.

Young German freelancers would typically want to earn an average salary for their field. More experienced remote workers have higher payment expectations.

Currency

The currency in Germany, like most other EU countries, is the Euro. The current exchange rate is 1 USD to 0.944 EUR.

Currency Exchange

Currency transfers are possible via all major online payment services including, but not limited to, PayPal, Payoneer, and Transferwise.